Binder for briquets.



No. "759,443. Patented May 10,1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? EDWARD J HOFFMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL COMPRESSED COAL COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAl/VARE, A COR- PORA ION OF DELAWARE.

BINDER FOR BRIQUETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,443, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed March 9,1904. $eria1Nn;197,389. (N specimens.)

T0 (M71 11/77/0711 it W "WY/067%! invention I proceed. as follows: First, I mix Be it known'thatI, EDWARD J. HOFFMAN, a the crude petroleum and oil myrbane and al- 5 citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chilow the mixture to stand for twenty-four cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illihours, when the petroleum will have been de- 5 nois, have invented certain new and useful Imodorized. The crude oil, rosin, and soda-ash provements in Binders for Briquets; and I do are then placed in a tank or vat, to which heat hereby declare that the following is a full, is applied by means of a steamjacket or by clear, and exact description thereof. direct heat of a fire. These materials are This invention relates to a novel binding heated until fused, and the lime in a slaked I composition orcompound for use in making condition (calcium hydrate) is then added. briquets of coal or lignite dust and also to the The heated mixture is thoroughly stirred, the novel fuel briquet made by the use of such resulting compound being semiliquid or hav-" binding compound. ing such'consistency as to have some degree The object of the invention is to produce of fluidity. The semiliquid binding com- 5 briquets which will not melt down under the pound is then mixed with coal or lignite dust action of the heat of the fire in burning and in the proportionof nine percent. (9%) of the will at the same time resist the action of wabinding compound to ninety-one per cent. 5 ter when exposed to the action of the ele (91%) of the coal or lignite dust. The plastic ments, so that they may be kept indefinitely mass formed by the admixture of the binding 20 without deterioration. I compound with the coal or lignite dust is then The invention consists in the matters herecompressed or molded under pressure into inafter described, and pointed out in the apbriquets or eggettes of size suitable for 7 pended claims. use as fuel.

A binding compound for briquets made in Efforts have heretofore been made both in 5 accordance with my invention consists of this country and abroad to produce an .en-

crude petroleum, rosin, soda-ash, and lime. tirely satisfactory binding compound for fuel I have successfully carried out my invenbriquets; but all such efforts have failed, tion by the use of the above-named ingredieither because the briquets became disinte- 'ents in the following proportions: crude pegrated when subjected to the heat of the fire 3 troleum, sixty-six per cent; rosin; eleven per or because they were unable to withstand the cent.; soda-ash, eleven per cent; lime, eleven action of the elements and dissolved when per cent. I exposed to moisture and changes of temper- 3 The above-named ingredients used in the ature. proportions specified produce a binding ma- 1 have found that the blnding compound 35 terial which when mixed with pulverized coal made as described possesses the advantage or lignite afford briquets having the characthat it will not soften or melt when the britcristics of being hard and durable, non-fusiquet is subjected to heat, this result arising 5 ble, insoluble in water, and therefore weathfrom the action of the soda-ash upon the resin erproof, highly inflammable, and possessing and crude petroleum, which acts with thelat- 4 great heat-producing capacity. ter ingredients and produce a compound In addition to the ingredients specified I which will burn without becoming softened also purpose using in the compound oil of or melting down when ignited. The com- 9 myrbane in the proportion of one per cent. pound described also resists the action of wa- This is used to deodorize the crude petroleum ter or moisture, the lime added to the saponi- 45 and avoid the presence in the place in which fied compound serving to render the same inthe fuel briquets are stored of any objectionsoluble in water. In other words, the sodaable petroleum odor. ash and lime form with the rosin and crude Tn making fuel briquets according to my petroleum an insoluble compound. The fuel briquets produced by the use of said binding compound therefore have the advantage of being unaifected by the weather and may be kept in storage indefinitely without change and without losing their heating capacity.

The fuel briquets made as described burn freely and give out great heat during the progress of combustion, the binding compound affording a largely-increased proportion of combustible matter in the briq nets, and therefore enhancing the heat-producing capacity of the fuel. The soda-ash and lime added to the compound to prevent the melting down of the briquets under heat or their dissolution under the effect of moisture do not serve to retard combustion; but I find in burning the briquets that combustion is very complete and that the entire mass of each briquet is reduced to ashes.

I am aware that the use has been suggested heretofore of compounds to be burned as a fuel or to be mixed with pulverized coal, lignite, or the like to increase the heating capacity of the fuel embracing petroleum and rosin with lime as a saponifying agent or petroleum and rosin with soda as a saponifying agent. My binder differs from such prior compounds from the fact thatit includes soda 7 as the principal saponifying agent and lime,

which is added to make the compound and the briquets made therefrom insoluble in water, and therefore weatherproof. I have found that lime if used alone would not only be ineffectual as a saponifying agent, because of its low or slight saponifying action, but to produce an approach to the necessary degree of saponification of the petroleum and rosin it would be necessary to use it in such large quantity as to give much too large a proportion of noncombustible matter in the compound. Moreover, if lime be used in too large a proportion it produces an injurious effect on the compound, it having been found that when lime is present in large quantity the lime through its chemical action produces such changes in the petroleum and rosin that the compound will soon lose largely its adhesive or binding effect. I therefore employ soda as the principal saponifying agent and lime in such proportion only as is necessary to make the compound insoluble in water. I have also found that a compound in which soda is used as a saponifying agent without lime the compound is readily soluble in water and if briquets made therefrom be exposed to the weather or to moisture they will soon disintegrate and fall apart.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of the exact ingredients hereinbefore namedor to a compound in which the ingredients are used in exactly the proportions specified, the main feature of my invention being a binding compound which includes crude petroleum, rosin, or a resinous material, soda-ash or equivalent alkali or chemical having the property ofsaponifying or solidifying the crude petroleum, and rosin and lime or equivalent material adapted to make the saponified mass insoluble in water.

The use of oil of myrbane to deodorize the petroleum is of great advantage, because doing away with the objectionable smell of petroleum which is liable to prevail in a storageroom or the house in which the fuel is used when the crude petroleum in the briquets is not deodorized.

I claim as my invention 1. A binding compound for fuel briquets, consisting of crude petroleum, rosin, soda-ash and lime.

2. A binding compound for fuel briquets, consisting of crude petroleum, rosin, soda-ash, lime and oil of myrbane.

3. A fuel briquet, consisting of coal or lignite dust, crude petroleum, rosin, soda-ash and lime.

4. A fuel briquet consisting of coal or lignite dust, crude petroleum, rosin, soda-ash, lime and oil'of myrbane.

5. The process of making a binding compoundfor fuel briquets, consisting of the steps of mixing oil of myrbane with crude petroleum to deodorize the latter, mixing the deodorized crude petroleum with rosin and sodaash and adding lime to the mixture.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 7th day of March, A. D. 1904.

EDWARD J. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

O. CLARENCE PooLE, GERTRUDE BRYCE. 

